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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26806399">Flying (and falling) for you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttacticianmagician/pseuds/ttacticianmagician'>ttacticianmagician</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Assorted Adventures of Claude and Turkey [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Claude von Riegan is a Little Shit, F/M, Fluff, General Shenanigans, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), References to Video Game Mechanics, Sparring</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:22:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26806399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttacticianmagician/pseuds/ttacticianmagician</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know, if you were interested in flying, I could have given you some pointers.” Claude cracked another smile. He had a feeling he was wading into dangerous territory, but he couldn’t help himself. An avenue to Teach’s side had just presented itself, and he would be a fool if he didn’t take it.</p><p>Byleth’s stern gaze wavered by an imperceptible amount, a sign that she was taken aback by his suggestion. She remained quiet for a few seconds after she recollected herself. “Claude, do you remember what rank in flying you have?”</p><p>“I know it’s at D, but it’s just a letter on a piece of paper. I’m way better than that.”</p><p>---</p><p>Byleth is somehow better than Claude at flying. At least, according to the Officer's Academy grading system. Claude is determined to prove himself, but he didn't mean to fall for Byleth in the process.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hilda Valentine Goneril &amp; Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Assorted Adventures of Claude and Turkey [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2229804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flying (and falling) for you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's a silly idea that came to me one night. It's slightly based off my Golden Deer playthrough, when I made Byleth a Falcoknight. She kicked ass and got to fly alongside Claude at the same time. And of course, I had to write as much as I could, which is why it's almost 11k words long... Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Claude liked to keep track of what Byleth got up to in her spare time. Purely out of fascination of course. He barely knew anything about her, and asking direct questions yielded little results, so he had to get answers through more indirect methods. Still, Claude quickly realized that spying on Teach was just as futile. He grew bored of watching her when he spent precious afternoons at the fishing pond, and then gave up completely when she wasted his time by playing with cats on top of that. It was hard for him to believe that someone called the Ashen Demon could have such menial hobbies, yet the evidence was right in front of him. But really, these setbacks just made his professor all the more curious. There had to be a big reason behind her lethal strength and unquestionably keen mind on the battlefield. Sure, she trained a whole lot, but training couldn’t explain everything about her. Right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would just have to find out that big reason some other way. While Claude puzzled over this increasingly prolonged dilemma, Byleth continued with whatever she was up to, away from his watchful eyes. He supposed that his negligence was why he was caught off guard when one day, she brought a pegasus to a mock battle. He might have believed that she was just fetching a mount for someone if it weren’t for her black pegasus knight uniform. The short tunic that ended over the middle of her thighs, the dark stockings that stopped a few inches below her tunic’s hem, and the gap of bare skin left in between was admittedly a good look for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heya, Teach!” Claude, sensing a golden opportunity to probe into her affairs, jogged over with a smile plastered on his face. “Since when did you become a pegasus knight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since yesterday.” Byleth replied bluntly, her eyes still locked on her pegasus’s saddle as she adjusted it. “I just passed the certification test.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, congratulations!” It was too bad that she wasn’t looking up at Claude, because his smile grew bigger. “It’ll certainly be easier for you to keep an eye on us from the sky. I didn’t even know you knew how to fly!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t. At least, not before coming here.” Byleth fastened a strap in place. By the time she looked up, Claude’s smile was replaced by a look of astonishment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait. Teach, you only arrived at Garreg Mach a few moons ago. Are you saying that you learned how to fly and earned your pegasus knight certification in such a short time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Byleth responded without hesitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’ve never rode a pegasus or a wyvern before then. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever even seen you on a horse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right. Mounted combat is… not my area of expertise. But I learn quickly.” She remained as stoic as ever while she replied. Claude had gotten used to her lack of inflection and emotion, but that still didn’t make it easier for him to parse her words when she took him off guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh.” Claude tried to suppress the amazement in his voice. The pegasus knight certification course was rigorous and unforgiving compared to other certifications, due in no small part to how dangerous it was to fight atop a flying steed. In fact, the only student that has passed it so far this year was Ingrid, who had some experience with pegasi before. Also, people like Petra, Hilda, and Leonie weren’t far behind. But if any complete novice could pass it with flying (heh) colors, it would be Byleth. Now that he mentioned this, he did recall seeing her chatting up Seteth and Manuela pretty often. How she managed to learn so much from them, in between her work as a professor and her love of sparring and fishing, was beyond Claude’s realm of imagination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, if you were interested in flying, I could have given you some pointers.” Claude cracked another smile. He had a feeling he was wading into dangerous territory, but he couldn’t help himself. An avenue to Teach’s side had just presented itself, and he would be a fool if he didn’t take it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth’s stern gaze wavered by an imperceptible amount, a sign that she was taken aback by his suggestion. She remained quiet for a few seconds after she recollected herself. “Claude, do you remember what rank in flying you have?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s at D, but it’s just a letter on a piece of paper. I’m way better than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good enough to stop paying attention during flying seminars, or to switch chores whenever you’re assigned to sky patrols?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Teach. I came to Garreg Mach to learn new things, and I’m not going to do that if I stick within my comfort zone. Besides, students like me can’t take the wyvern rider exam until like two moons later anyway. Once the time came, I was going to brush up my skills, earn the flying rank I need, then pass the test in one go. This way, I can focus on what I really need, like axe training.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude hefted the wooden axe in his hands to prove his point. The two of them fell silent for a brief moment. Her eyes scanned every detail of his face, and his eyes surveyed her in return. From the nonchalant tone and her relaxed features, Claude could tell that she was actually considering his offer of help, but didn’t quite believe his purported level of expertise. Which was fair. He had been a bit dodgy when it came to flying. Mostly for the reasons he stated, believe it or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was unaware that you were serious about becoming a wyvern rider." She finally said. "From your previous comments, it sounded like you were content with remaining on the ground."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I was. But when I found out that our beloved Teach was going to brave the skies all alone, I figured that I couldn't fall behind any longer. Someone has to keep you safe up there." Claude added a wink at the end for good measure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Makes sense.” She stated without any sort of reaction to Claude's cheekiness. “But at this rate, I should be the one helping you. I already achieved a C rank in flying, so according to the Officer’s Academy, I’m technically better than you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C rank? That fast?” Claude exclaimed, only to hide his surprise with a cough. “I mean, if you think that you’re that good, I’ll have to keep an eye on you during the fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine by me.” Byleth turned back to her pegasus. She tested the straps one last time before vaulting onto the pegasus's back “It’s about time for the mock battle to start, Claude. Get into position, and don’t let me distract you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Claude smirked. His response was drowned out by a flurry of feathers as Byleth flew off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was one thing for his professor to have a higher flying rank than him on paper. It was another thing to be better at flying than him in real life. Claude fixated on her distant figure throughout most of the battle. He thought he would find several novice mistakes and maybe the chance to swoop in to save her. What he didn't expect was speed and poise that shouldn’t be possible for someone who hadn't sat in a pegasus's saddle for very long. Sure, her form wasn't perfect all the time, but what she lacked in technique she made up with ferocity. The steel of her lance flashed in the afternoon sun as it struck down foes, her dark figure danced around attacks like a leaf on the wind, and her commanding voice resonated in the skies above. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How did she do it? How did Teach acclimate to fighting on pegasus back so quickly? Not only did she profess to never having ridden a pegasus before, Claude was pretty sure lances weren't a favorite weapon of hers. Yet the performance unfolding before him proved otherwise. Claude was so desperate for answers, he focused on Byleth far too long and got his axe slapped out of his hands for his troubles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn't let his thoughts stray anymore. Otherwise he would be losing more than just his axe here. As he reached for his spare bow and fired at the offending enemy at point-blank range, Claude resolved to finish the fight first, then talk it over with Teach later. Or if she wasn't in the mood to talk, maybe Jeralt might know something? Maybe he taught her the skills necessary to become a pegasus knight, and Byleth had just forgotten.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As it turned out, he couldn't stay entirely focused on the mock battle anyway. His attention occasionally wandered back to Teach, her pegasus, and the many graceful poses they struck as they dominated the battlefield. Of course, he was careful not to put himself in danger when he glanced away from what was in front of him, and his moments of distraction ended up working out for the two of them. While Byleth landed a decisive blow on an opponent, Claude spotted an archer aiming his arrow at her. He nocked his own arrow without thinking and shot at the enemy archer. It collided against his foe’s chest squarely. Claude smiled at his quick save, and turned his gaze skyward to see if the professor had witnessed the untimely demise he had saved her from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, she hadn’t. But she had seen him lose his axe earlier. That mistake earned him a lecture that Claude just smiled and nodded through. He wanted to tell her that he wouldn’t normally lose his weapon like that under normal circumstances, and that only happened because he wanted to watch Byleth’s first time as a certified pegasus knight, but he knew that he would only be talking to a stone wall. And because of what he said before the mock battle, he also earned extra sky patrol assignments throughout the next few weeks. It should have touched his heart to hear his professor taking his wyvern rider aspirations seriously, especially when he hadn’t taken it seriously until not too long ago, but he only ended up feeling dismayed after his meeting with Teach. Not only did this feel more like punishment than attention, there was another good reason why he tried to avoid chores of the flying variety. Not even having Hilda as his partner could cheer him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow. You know, you're really good at handling your wyvern." The pink haired girl remarked as they leisurely hovered over Garreg Mach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not just me. Turkey is a really cooperative mount too." Claude replied. His right hand scratched the scales behind his wyvern's antlers, who cooed in return. The brown and chunky creature he was riding on, aptly named Turkey, was one of the gentlest wyverns the Officer's Academy had to offer. A complete 'novice' such as Claude would have no trouble staying in his saddle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but this goes beyond that. You can fly just as well as me, and I've been training on pegasus back for at least a moon!" Hilda groaned. "You've flown before, haven't you? And not just for a little bit. It looks like you were practically born in a wyvern's saddle! How else can you boss Turkey around with a single touch and all that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude smiled, a response bubbling up his throat before he could stop himself. "You'd be surprised at just how little communication a wyvern needs. They don't vocalize all that much in the wild. Body language is more important to them than sound, so a simple gesture can get your point across more efficiently than words."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Against his better judgement, Claude spurred Turkey into a steep dive by squeezing his legs against his scaley hide and leaning downwards. Wyvern and rider careened towards the ground, only to wing back up into the sky when Claude yanked on the reins. Once they were next to Hilda and her pegasus, he urged Turkey to hover in place with another tug. A cocky grin was glued on Claude's face as he basked in Hilda's awestruck, wide-eyed expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It also helps that Turkey has flown with so many students, he knows these tricks like the back of his hand. Or wing, I guess?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude's voice snapped her out of her trance, but she sounded no less amazed as she spoke. "See?! That's what I'm talking about! You're way better than you let on! If I was as good as you, I would want to do sky patrols all the time! So why haven't you done any until now?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've avoided them for one simple reason." He leaned forward a bit to look Hilda straight in the eye. "It's a waste of time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t follow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With other chores, you have a set amount of work to do before you’re finished. Sure, it might be tough work, but if you’re smart about it, you can complete them all before the allotted time. But with patrols, you’re stuck here until your shift is up. And I have better things to do than to just laze around in the air all day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s the best part about sky patrols!” Hilda exclaimed loudly. “You don’t have to muck the stables or crawl in the dirt for weeds. You can just sit back and relax. As long as your mount doesn’t decide to buck you off, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude let out a short laugh. “Sounds like someone’s speaking from experience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that only happened once! When I first started flying!” Hilda stuck her tongue out. “And not everyone can speak wyvern like you! Well, Marianne probably can, but that’s besides the point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude was about to say that his skill didn’t come from ‘speaking wyvern’, but the real reason behind his innate talents would raise the eyebrow of any Goneril, including the one next to him. So he kept his mouth shut and allowed Hilda to continue talking to herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, I thought you would like sky patrols, even if it takes time away from your scheming or whatever. You can see all sorts of things going on from up here. Don’t you like spying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, but as the heir to House Riegan, I’m hurt that you would accuse me of such dubious behavior!” Claude spoke in a haughty tone reminiscent of Lorenz’s voice, much to Hilda’s chagrin, before returning to normal. “And it’s harder to watch people from the air than you’d think. A conspicuously hovering shadow draws a lot of attention. Case in point…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He jerked his head towards the diminutive figures on the ground. A handful of them were standing in place to gawk at the wyvern and pegasus in the sky. It was only a matter of time before the sparse observers grew to an unwanted crowd that would quickly figure out that these two students weren’t actually patrolling anything. Hilda sensed his unspoken concern and the pair urged their mounts into a steady flap forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, everyone knows it’s just us up here, so it’s not like anyone cares.” Hilda shrugged. “People keep on keeping on. Like, I saw Lysithea sneaking a huuuuge cake to her room once. Another time, I spotted Linhardt napping on a roof that I’m pretty sure there’s no stairs to. Oh, and let’s not forget Sylvain’s many makeout sessions in the alleyways…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda sounded excited to rattle off the many escapades of their classmates, so Claude just listened in silence. Even though she would be the last to admit it, she was actually pretty good at the patrolling part of sky patrols. The simple fact that she detected all these ongoings was impressive in and of itself, if he also disregarded the fact that she was only doing this for the gossip. If Hilda could carry her keen eye with her onto the battlefield, as well as gain full control of her mount, she would be well on her way to becoming a great airborne warrior. Although Claude couldn’t help but wonder if Byleth, with her almost prodigal skills, would reach that zenith sooner…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of whom. As Hilda was running out of things to recount, Claude noticed an absence among them. “Have you ever seen Teach doing anything weird?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda squinted at him. “You have to be more specific than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does she do anything besides training, teaching, fishing, and playing with animals all day?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paused for a moment to skim through her memories, then shook her head. “Now that you mention it, not really. Either the professor doesn’t have any other hobbies, or she’s very good at hiding them. But my question to you now is why do you care?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you know the answer already.” Claude gave her a cheeky grin that made Hilda roll her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you said that spying was beneath you…” She sighed in a showy kind of way. “As your best friend, I should be condoning you. But honestly, I’m just as curious about our professor as you are. I mean, I wouldn’t spy on her, but she really is kinda weird. And the only reason why I say ‘kinda weird’ instead of ‘incredibly weird’ is because Jeritza takes that cake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she’ll be glad you made that distinction. Except I’m not spying on her anymore. I got tired of her endless fishing and cat feeding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a shame. Maybe you would’ve noticed her practicing her pegasus-riding if you kept going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude jerked his head back like he had been struck. “Hold on. Hilda, you saw Teach on a pegasus and never told me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. A few times, but never up close. I didn’t think it was a big deal.” Hilda shrugged nonchalantly. “But what would you have done if I did tell you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would’ve offered to help her training, or at least give her some tips. What? Don’t give me that look.” Despite his protest, Claude smirked as Hilda rolled her eyes again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have every right to look like this when you’d go so far as to give the professor help with her training! How come you never offered that to me? Aren’t I your best friend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude chuckled before realizing that Hilda was actually somewhat serious. He hesitated for a brief moment to come up with an excuse that would both satisfy her and not oust his true intentions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hilda, do you really want to spend more time training? With me, no less?” He eventually settled on. “I mean, I would’ve been happy to help you, but I knew how you would have reacted if I asked you first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She parted her lips ever so slightly, on the verge of blurting out a reply, but stopped herself in time. Hilda was actually quiet for the moment she digested Claude’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. You’re right.” She relented, much to his relief. “I don’t want to know what kind of training you’ll put me through. But your favoritism towards the professor is a bit… obvious. Even for a house leader. Are you really trying to help her? Or are you just trying to impress her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not both?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda laughed back, a shrill sound with some genuine humor behind it. “Ha! I’d like to see that. The impressing part, I mean. I bet the best way to her heart is a duel. Of course, there’s no way you’ll win, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate the effort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A duel? Come on, I’m not Felix.” Claude wasn’t even going to comment on her lack of confidence in him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, with how good she is at flying already, I doubt she’ll be phased by any show you put on for her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A wry smile crossed Claude’s face. “How much do you want to bet on that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude, what are you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda’s pink eyes went from him to a splotch of familiar blue down below. Standing at the dock of the fishing pond was the aforementioned professor, with a fishing rod in hand instead of a sword. For the moment, she appeared unaware of the students above her. It was only after Claude and Turkey casted a shadow over her floating bobber that she looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goddess, you knew she would be here, wouldn’t you?” Hilda said in some parts exasperation and some part amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t prove that.” Claude replied before glancing down to meet Byleth’s gaze. It was a good thing they were too high up for her to eavesdrop. He could pretend that he was actually working on his assigned group task. Even so, he couldn’t help but wave at the woman on the ground. The casual gesture contrasted against how his wyvern hovered in the sky and in place. Claude didn’t want to admit that he was a bit nervous while awaiting her reaction, but he did get some butterflies in his stomach during those few seconds. His worries were only alleviated when Byleth took a hand off her fishing pole and held it up. It wasn’t much of a wave, but it made Claude’s smile grow bigger anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, Hilda scoffed. “That’s your idea of impressing her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, come on. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be as happy as her if a wyvern rider waved at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm, yeah. I guess I would be. But I thought you were going to pull off a fancy trick or something, like what you did earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A simple dive like that wouldn’t impress Teach.” Claude muttered. Truth be told, he didn’t plan on doing anything more than just waving. Thanks to many moons of sleuthing and testing her limits, he knew that she didn’t hold a high opinion of shenanigans. She of course tolerated them, because otherwise Claude would’ve been kicked out of the Golden Deer by now, but his antics usually earned him a cold stare rather than a smile. But now, Hilda’s words and Byleth’s ‘wave’ got the gears spinning in his head…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned his head and caught a glimpse of Hilda’s expectant gaze. They held eye contact for a few seconds before she nodded at him. That was all the encouragement he needed. Bringing his eyes back forward, Claude spurred his wyvern into a dive just as steep as the last one. Only this time, Turkey didn’t pull back up, not even when he was mere feet from the pond. At the last possible second, Claude pulled at his reins and leveled out their flight so they flew just above the water’s surface. Turkey channeled his momentum into tight circles that gradually increased to larger ones as his flight slowed. As he passed by Byleth, Claude saw that her face was as impassive as ever, but he didn’t let her non-reaction dissuade him. He tugged the reins while shifting his body weight to angle Turkey perpendicular to the fishing pond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flying on his side wasn’t really a trick Claude had practiced extensively, and it took a lot of strength to not fall out of his saddle, but the somewhat bewildered look on Byleth’s face made it worthwhile. He guided Turkey in a languid path that took the form of a figure 8, twice. On his second pass, he had the wyvern dip the tip of his wing into the water, creating a shower of droplets that sparkled in the sun. The resulting wake splashed all over Claude and Turkey and, unfortunately, Byleth when they soared past her. Claude winced at his accidental splashing and, for once, didn’t wait around for her reaction. He retreated back into the sky and out of the range of her inevitable wrath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only it didn’t come. She just stood at the pier, dripping wet and wearing an inscrutable expression. Although her face was unreadable, her slightly slouching posture and drooping fishing rod reminded Claude of a sad and wet cat, and turned his sudden fear into guilt. His regret only compounded when Byleth shot one last look at the wyvern flying high above her before whirling around and walking back to her dormitory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow.” Hilda broke the silence. “Nice going, Claude. I'm sure that went over well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean-” Claude was about to say that he didn’t mean to soak Byleth with his stunt, but he would just be admitting to his carelessness and lack of forward thinking. He instead shook his head and sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll apologize to her once we’re done here. It didn’t look like she’s mad at me, but it’s still a good idea to make up with someone that holds your grades in her hands.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Makes sense.” Hilda concurred. “Maybe this will also convince her to take you off of sky patrols. Wait, don’t tell me that was your plan all along.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh. Sometimes, it just works out like that.” Claude’s short laugh masked his ongoing guilt. He would rather continue sky patrols than do something like this to Byleth, but he couldn’t take back his mistake no matter how much he wished to. He could only do his best to amend things and hope he wouldn’t suffer too much in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After their shift was up, Claude’s first destination after the wyvern aviary was Byleth’s room. He stood at the closed door to breath in before he could muster up the courage to knock on it. A few seconds later, the door swung open and revealed the professor dressed in dry clothes. Her long-sleeved black tunic and loose trousers exposed a lot less skin than he was used to, but he supposed she wanted to warm up after getting doused in water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Teach.” He began, willing himself to talk before he got cold feet. “I’m sorry for splashing water all over you. I was only trying to… show off, I guess. I didn’t mean to make you wet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth remained motionless in the doorway, her blank face not betraying any signs that would make this conversation easier. Claude kept up his sheepish smile anyway. He didn’t expect anything else from Teach, but he hoped that underneath that placid facade, she believed he meant what he said. It was difficult for him to sound so earnest, and he wasn’t sure what else he could say if she rejected his statement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An awkward beat passed before she finally responded. “I’ll accept your apology under one condition.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude raised an eyebrow. “What kind of condition?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow, Seteth is holding an advanced flying seminar with a select few students. I want you to be there with me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, Teach, don’t you think you should treat me to dinner first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence descended between them as Claude’s joke fell flat on its face. He chuckled and shook his head. “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist. But why do you want me to attend? I didn’t think my flying rank is high enough for Seteth’s classes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This seminar is a bit unconventional. Participants will spar against each other with all the skills that they have learned so far. They are also allowed to bring an adjutant, even one from outside the class. Out of everyone in the Golden Deer, you would perform the best during this fight, as you kindly demonstrated earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh. That was not the kind of answer he expected from Teach. He couldn’t fathom how she thought it was a suitable response towards his antics, unless there was something else going on. Maybe she harbored a secret competitive streak and wanted to use Claude’s apology as a means to win this match? If so, that was surprisingly devious of her. It was something that he would’ve done, actually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was also the fact that it seemed like his stunt impressed Byleth just as much as it soaked her. Claude would have been overjoyed by that if it weren’t for the unshakable feeling that this was supposed to be his punishment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides, I think it will do you some good to participate. It’s obvious that you’re bored by the standard training, so a challenge like this should prove your arrogance wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there it was. Claude faked a wince. “Ouch. There’s no need to point that out. You had my attention by the first part.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you will accompany me tomorrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. I’m not so heartless as to leave my dear professor without a partner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A corner of Byleth’s lips twitched. Was that a hint of a smile just now? Claude chose to interpret that as the go-ahead to try his luck. “And perhaps, when we win, you can bump my flying rank up to where it should be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When.” Byleth repeated in a stilted manner, as if the word was foriegn on her tongue. “That is very presumptuous of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you have to admit that you and I make a great team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How would you know that? We haven’t fought together on flying mounts before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you have a bit of faith in me, Teach?” Claude folded his arms behind the back of his head. Now that he was putting his risky idea into motion, he had to see it through to its end, no matter how badly it might backfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re an unstoppable force on the ground, so it should be a cinch to carry that success with us to the skies. Although, if you want to guarantee our victory further, we can spend some time today strategizing. You know more about our opponents tomorrow than I do, and in return, I can give you a few pointers on flying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again, their conversation gave way to a lull. Did Claude overstep? He did offer to help Byleth with her flying before, when she first became a pegasus knight, but it was in a different context. Back then, it was easy for her to brush off his offer as a joke. Now, however, he wanted Byleth to actually listen to him, despite being her student and a troublemaker that drenched her by accident not too long ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It turned out that Claude didn’t need to worry. Byleth regarded him with a stare that shone more brightly than before. “I’m glad that you’re taking this seriously. I have other matters to take care first, but we can meet again in a few hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude resisted the urge to pump his fist in the air, if only to hear the rest of what Teach had to say. “As for your flying rank… I can’t guarantee that I can change it that quickly, but if you do well, I will try. However, I thought you agreed to join the seminar tomorrow as an apology to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did. But who says that I can’t also use this as extra credit of sorts?” When he smirked, Byleth let out an exhale that almost sounded like a sigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All things considering, Claude’s meeting with Teach went over better than expected. Not only did he smooth out the wrinkle he caused, he got a chance to spend time with her. Sure, they might only use that time to talk tactics and form, but he was certain that he would learn something about his professor from this encounter. And, like his earlier sincerity suggested, he really did want to win the fight tomorrow. Not just to earn a better rank or forgiveness or even to flex his flying talent, but to make his professor proud.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hour of Seteth’s unconventional flying seminar arrived with little fanfare. Byleth, Claude, and the other participants flew out to an empty field on the outskirts of Garreg Mach. It wasn’t like they needed the extra space, but considering who they were going to spar with, this location might have been chosen so they didn’t disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the monastery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude felt many pairs of eyes boring into his very soul as they made their way to the field. As expected, his appearance took basically everyone off guard. He was honestly quite pleased that he had hid his skills that well, since it would be a major key to their victory today. Now if only if a certain someone would stop giving Teach a hard time about her choice of adjutant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m still concerned about your decision to bring Claude von Riegan along as your partner.” He heard Seteth confide to Byleth on the side. This had to be the third or fourth time he brought this up, and he didn’t even dare to question Claude himself yet. “If his records are accurate, this seminar will be out of his league. He might cause himself undue injuries just to keep up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude will be fine.” Byleth replied in her trademark, emotionless voice. “Among the Golden Deer, his handling of a wyvern is unmatched.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what of his aerial combat ability? As I recall, he has never partaken in any fight on wyvern back, be it for practice or for real. Not to mention that his weapon choice is… peculiar for a wyvern rider.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I trust that he will do well.” She stated. Her matter-of-factly tone shut down any other protests from Seteth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing him call out Claude’s preferred weapon made his bow and quiver burn on his back. The professor said that people were allowed to bring two weapons with them, so he picked the ones he was most comfortable with. The axe, being the bread and butter of most wyvern riders and the weapon he had been working on for the last several weeks, was an obvious choice. But the bow and arrow was as strange as Claude’s attendance of this seminar. No one in Garreg Mach, not even acclaimed teachers like Seteth, had the slightest clue of how to shoot while flying. In fact, when the green-haired instructor saw what was strapped on Claude’s back, he almost asked him to switch to a different weapon. Bringing arrows, a prominent weakness of fliers, to an aerial fight would have ensured Claude and Byleth’s total domination. But he ultimately allowed it because Claude’s training arrows were blunt and unable to pierce the wings of anyone’s flying mount., thus taking away an archer’s major advantage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Seteth turned his attention to the rest of the group, Claude took the opportunity to evaluate who they were up against. This seminar would pit Byleth and Claude against two other flying duos in a three-way battle. From the Black Eagles were Petra and Ferdinand, and from the Blue Lions were Ingrid and Sylvain. Petra and Ingrid didn’t surprise Claude, as they were the best fliers from their respective houses, but their partners were a bit more unexpected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Teach went over the strengths and weaknesses of each pair in length yesterday. Ingrid was the most well-known flier of the Officer’s Academy, thanks to her prior experience with pegasi. She was also notably enamored with knights and chivalry, which would mean her fighting style would reflect those ideals. That was something Claude could work with. Textbook techniques were easy to take advantage of. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of Sylvain, who was a bit of a wildcard. Claude was aware to some degree that the flirty redhead dabbled in wyvern riding, but he dismissed that as a passing interest and nothing to be concerned about. Seeing Sylvain flying next to Ingrid changed his mind though. The two friends have worked with each other since they were children, creating a bond that would grant them an edge during this fight. Claude’s only hope was to turn their differing personalities and styles against them, and create a rift that they couldn’t fix before they lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Ingrid, and like Byleth, Petra had no previous experience with flying mounts. She once told Claude that wyvern and pegasi weren’t found in Brigid, which made her prowess even more impressive. Maybe her tree climbing skills lent itself to flying pretty well? In any case, she was as agile and speedy in the air as she was on the ground, and combined with her Brigidian swordplay, she was shaping up to be just as formidable as Ingrid. Perhaps even moreso, because of her unfamiliar style. On the other hand, Claude wasn’t too worried about Ferdinand von Aegir. Sure, he was a skilled duelist with any weapon he held in his hand, but he often heard Ferdinand lamenting about his required flying lessons. Something about how a horse was a more suitable steed for nobles than wyverns. Not to mention, he and Petra were strangers before they became classmates, and they hadn’t grown particularly close throughout the moons. Not like Claude and Teach. It should be easier to drive them apart than Ingrid and Sylvain, although why did Petra choose Ferdinand out of everyone else in the Black Eagle house? Was it because of his skill alone, or was it for another reason?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So many thoughts swirled in Claude’s mind, he barely registered that they arrived at the designated dueling field. Seteth urged everyone to land so he could go over the rules of the mock battle one last time. They weren’t anything that Claude hadn’t heard before. No going for the head of the rider or mount. If Seteth called your name, you were a loser and taken out of combat. Don’t push yourself too hard and risk injury. And if you do happen to get hurt, Seteth had brought Flayn along for some emergency healing. Her presence made Claude wonder if she was really here so her brother could keep an eye on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude, how are you feeling?” Byleth asked out of the blue. Claude blinked his thoughts away and found her right next to him, her pegasus already prepared for combat. Meanwhile, Turkey the wyvern lazed about the ground and not at all eager to start flying again so soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m feeling pretty good.” Claude responded. “Why do you ask?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you would be a little nervous, seeing as this is the first time you’re fighting against students on wyvern back.” Byleth shrugged in the vaguest sense of the word. “But remember, this is only a mock battle. Don’t do anything reckless for the sake of winning, and don’t feel the need to flaunt your skills.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no need to worry about me, but thanks for the concern.” A faint smile crept up on Claude’s face. It was nice of her to check in on him, even though it was unwarranted. Claude wasn’t feeling that anxious, and if he was, it wasn’t for the reasons Byleth thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After some prodding, Claude got Turkey to take off alongside the pegasi and other wyverns. He readied the bow in his hands while Byleth gripped her training lance. The six fliers eyed each other warily, not one of offering up a single word to break the silence all around them. The only sounds right before the start of battle were the steady flap of wings and an incessant breeze that rustled hair and feathers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seteth shouted. Immediately after his signal, the four other students lunged immediately towards Byleth and Claude. Or wait, were they actually just focused on Claude? He fired an arrow at the fastest moving target, Ingrid, but she expertly dodged around it. He was only spared from her lance because Byleth moved in to parry her blow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This still wasn’t a great opening for the Golden Deer duo. Claude had planned to hang back and use his superior range to harass their opponents. Meanwhile, Byleth would simultaneously shield Claude from would-be attacks and finish off anyone who was weakened. But if their enemies rushed them all at once, Claude couldn’t afford to stay behind, otherwise his partner would be overwhelmed in an instant. It actually bothered him that the other students came up with a sound counter-strategy so quickly. Did they think he was the weakest link of this group, or did his arrows strike an instinctual fear in their hearts and paint a target on his back?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever the case may be, Claude was going to remind them all that he wasn’t just an archer. He swapped his bow for an axe and hurried to Byleth’s side, dodging a sword swipe from Petra in the process. While Ingrid was engaged against Byleth, he swung his axe in a broad stroke. It didn’t connect, but it did cause Ingrid to back off just a tad and give Byleth some breathing room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A split second afterwards, Sylvan descended on Claude with an axe of his own. Claude raised his weapon to meet him. A jolt shuddered through his body as the wooden blades collided. Sylvain was a lot stronger than he looked. Claude, knowing his physical limits, would have a difficult time matching him head-on. He would have to use his (probably) superior riding skills to stay in the game. When Sylvain brought down his axe again, Claude urged Turkey to swerve to the right. The axe narrowly missed them by a few scant inches. Sylvain, not missing a beat, lashed out again and again. Claude continued to dodge his increasingly wild swings, waiting for the right time to strike. But before that could happen, Ingrid was upon him in a flash. Her rapid lance jabs were a lot harder to dodge than Sylvain’s axe, and a few of them landed all over Turkey’s flank. All Claude could do to avoid further damage was to dive down and out of Ingrid’s reach. But Turkey’s flight was slowed by his accumulated bruises. It was only a matter of time before Ingrid caught up to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, several things happened at once to save Claude from an early defeat. Byleth dove in between Claude and Ingrid and stabbed out with her lance. Her sudden appearance threw not only Ingrid off of Claude’s trail, but also Petra, who had caught wind of a wounded opponent. The princess of Brigid decided that she couldn’t break past Byleth’s defenses, but she could target the startled Ingrid instead. While those two teams clashed, Claude and Byleth flew out some distance to gather a moment of repose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry that I couldn’t stop Ingrid earlier.” She shot an apologetic look at Claude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright. Turkey and I aren’t out yet.” He smiled back. “What’s next for us? Think fast, because Petra and Ingrid aren’t going to go at it forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Indeed, the two pegasi knights had reached a stalemate of sorts. Remarkably, Petra had managed to avoid a single scratch on her, thanks to her boundless agility. Then Ferdinand interjected himself into the duel, forcing Ingrid to return to Sylvain's side. The Black Eagles and Blue Lions hovered in place, obviously gauging the situation, but Claude could tell that he and Byleth didn’t exactly escape their gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ingrid throws herself into head-on fights, and relies on Sylvain to cover her weaknesses. A sign of someone assured of their skills. On the other hand, Petra and Ferdinand will only attack when they’d have a clear advantage, because they are less confident about winning a straight fight. So it would make more sense to defeat Ingrid first. If we can knock her and Sylvain out, Petra and Ferdinand would have no choice but to engage us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha.” Claude nodded. He got that same feeling from their brief clashes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Ingrid probably surmised that she can beat us more easily than Petra and Ferdinand. So she is also more likely to target us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As much as I hate to say it, it looks like you’re right, Teach.” Claude’s frown deepened as the white-and-blonde figure that was Ingrid sped towards them, with Sylvain not far behind her. And like she also predicted, Petra and Ferdinand followed from a safe distance to prepare for any opening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude, use your arrows to keep Ingrid and Sylvain on their toes. I’m going in.” Byleth ordered while brandishing her sword.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you can do this, Teach? You barely escaped your last fight from Ingrid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine. I’ll use what you showed me last night to win this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is now really a good time to do that? You can’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words were whisked away by a rush of wind from Byleth’s departure. Technically, the technique that Claude taught her wasn’t new to Byleth. She knew how to execute it perfectly on the ground. But while on a pegasus, she would have to use an entirely new stance, a completely different timing… Not to mention that it pitted her sword against Ingrid’s lance, a traditionally unfavorable matchup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, Claude was all about bucking tradition. He flew up higher to gain a better vantage point, nocked his bow and aimed at Ingrid. It was a relief to not be targeted by anyone for once, although he was perfectly aware that could change very quickly. He had to make these shots count. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude released his arrow. It flew in a straight line and grazed against Ingrid’s pauldron. She flinched long enough for Byleth to strike. Her wooden sword became a blur, almost teleporting to seek out Ingrid’s weak points. Ingrid tried to dodge and parry, but Claude’s shower of arrows made that task much more difficult. No knight from Faerghus would be well-equipped to handle arrows from above. Ingrid called out to Sylvain, asking him to deal with Claude, but that command was easier to oblige than to carry out. Sylvain’s wyvern wasn’t a swift beast like his partner’s pegasus. Its relatively slow figure was a much easier target to hit. Especially when Sylvain flew right at him, and Claude put a twist in his arrow to fire off an unavoidable curved shot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trick arrow did the trick. It rammed against the wyvern’s right shoulder, faltering its flight. Sylvain, sensing unfavorable odds, retreated back to Ingrid. But his metaphorical blood had already been drawn, attracting the hunter known as Petra. She darted in with her sword in hand and Ferdinand at her back. Claude didn’t need to watch them to know how a 2-vs-1 battle would turn out. He instead turned his bow back to Ingrid and Teach, and resumed pelting the former with arrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now faced with the threat of losing her partner, Ingrid was forced to quickly vanquish the opponent in front of her. She flew her pegasus up towards the sky, then careened downwards. Her lance jutted out like an arrow’s sharp tip. Claude recognized this steep dive as a classic pegasus knight move, one that built up enough momentum to chase down any foe and break through any defense. Her acceleration may be stymied by the bad wing, but the missile that Ingrid had become was still daunting to face. Claude shot another arrow in hopes of slowing her down, but it missed her by a mile. And he couldn’t get a second shot in. He could only watch with bated breath as Byleth charged to meet Ingrid, her sword raised in defiance against a desperate foe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude, being so high up, couldn’t make out what happened next exactly. He saw Byleth dip below Ingrid’s lance right before it skewered her, but she dodge it completely? Then Ingrid’s pegasus violently jerked to the side as a sword smacked against its belly and wing with an upward thrust. If Byleth was wielding a real sword, the pegasus would’ve spilled its guts all over her. But thankfully, the winged horse was only thrown off-kilter. As it shakily flew towards the ground, Claude saw Byleth standing up in her stirrups for a brief second before sitting back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had done it. The euphoria of seeing Teach accomplish a modified Grounder art drowned out Seteth’s shout of Ingrid’s name. Normally, a sword fighter would use solid earth to root their skyward strike, but she managed to heed Claude’s instruction to the letter and pulled it off in a pegasus’s saddle. That was Teach for you. She was always performing miraculous feats like these, no matter the weapon or battleground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sadly, his excitement was cut short when he was rudely reminded of the fight still ongoing. While they were fixated on Ingrid, Petra and Ferdinand managed to defeat Sylvain, though not without incurring injuries. One of Ferdinand’s arms dangled by his side, a sign that it was too hurt to be of much use. His other arm clutched a lance, but Claude was certain that the nobleman wouldn’t be able to wield it with only one hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That just made him easy picking for his arrows. Claude pulled another one out of his quiver, suddenly mindful about how empty it felt. He expended a lot of arrows against Ingrid, so he had to conserve what he had left. He aimed at Ferdinand, and was about to fire when a warning shout from Byleth drew his attention below. Petra was coming at Claude with incredible speed, flying too fast for Byleth to intercept. He swore, switched to the new target, and fired. At the same time, Petra hurled a hatchet at him. When the arrow and axe collided, the arrow splintered apart uselessly while the hatchet was only slightly deflected. He only dodged it by yanking Turkey to the left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Petra already had another hatchet in her hand as soon as Claude got his bearings straight. If she could counter his arrows with throwing axes, he was in a bad spot, because he doubted that his axe would fare much better against her. The only choice he had was to make a strategic retreat back to Byleth. Surely by now, she had taken care of Ferdinand. Once they regrouped, the odds would shift in their favor, and the fight was in the bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except getting back to Byleth wasn’t as easy as he thought. As Claude flew off, Petra followed after him briskly. She would catch up to him before he reached Byleth, no thanks to Turkey’s earlier wounds. He turned around in his saddle and fired more arrows in an attempt to ward her off. One lucky arrow got her in the arm, but it wasn’t enough to thwart her. For his troubles, his quiver was nearly depleted, housing only three measly arrows left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nearby shouting indicated that Ferdinand, despite his bad arm, was still giving Byleth hell. Claude realized that he couldn’t count on her coming to his aid. Worse, by flying to her level, he would just be luring a formidable foe to Byleth. At this point, if they wanted to be victorious, Claude had to make his stand here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hands remained on his bow as he slowed his flight. Let Petra assume he was still resorting to his top-notch archery. As her silhouette grew bigger, he nocked an arrow and aimed. In front of him, Petra took hold of another throwing axe. She was just as prepared to chuck it at him as Claude was prepared to let his arrow loose. But instead, he spurred Turkey forward, all while keeping his bow raised. His aim suffered quite a bit from the jostling, but Petra didn’t know that. Panicked by the sudden charge, she threw her axe. Claude nudged Turkey to the side to dodge it, then fired away. It soared straight and true, and it would have been a bullseye if Petra hadn’t blocked it with her sword.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nonetheless, it gave Claude the opening he needed. He was practically on top of Petra when he swung down with his training axe. Petra did her best to parry, but Claude’s weapon broke through and rammed into her arm. She let out a yelp of pain. Landing a decisive blow should have been a simple task at this point, but to Claude’s astonishment, she switched her sword to her good arm and jabbed out. The unexpected attack connected with his chest, driving wind out of his lungs and loosening his grip on his axe. Petra drove the axe out of his hands like he was an amatuer and would have ended him if Turkey hadn’t flapped backwards in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good boy.” Claude murmured through gritted teeth. Unfortunately, the lucky save only delayed the inevitable. Petra was on him like a raging storm, and it took all that he had in order to dip and bob around her sword. His chest was on fire and Turkey wasn’t faring much better, but as long as Seteth didn’t deem him a loser, he would still fight. He pulled out his bow and attempted to shoot Petra down at point-blank range, but his aim was completely off thanks to her frenzied movements. His second-to-last arrow careened harmlessly off to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A desperate plan brewed in Claude’s mind as he grabbed his final arrow. At this rate, he needed to pull out all the stops in order to win. That included a trick that he had seen wyvern archers perform back at home, a trick that was based on the same principle as Byleth’s Grounder but was executed much differently. He loosed his left foot from its stirrup as Petra closed in again, sword poised to finish him off. Right before it slashed at him, Claude pushed himself off his saddle. His right foot, still tucked in his stirrup, served as his only anchor to his wyvern as he dangled upside-down. The new perspective dizzied him, but he got a clear shot at Petra while her blade stabbed the space he once occupied. He aimed his bow skyward and launched his last arrow into her pegasus’s wing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The arrow was too blunt to pierce it, but it did all the damage Claude needed. Petra’s pegasus emitted a high pitch whinny. Unable to maintain a steady flight, its rider sought to control its spiraling descent as best she could. But to Claude’s panic, he couldn’t do the same for Turkey. The piercing shriek startled him enough to shake Claude off. Wind roared into his ears and stung his eyes as he fell and fell. For some odd reason, his last thoughts weren’t of the usual sort. They consisted of what Byleth told him earlier, a warning to not get too reckless during this mock battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Teach.” He whispered just before he landed in a pair of sturdy arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude thought he heard someone say, “What was that?”, but his brain was still too frazzled to process anything. He kept his eyes shut for a few moments to dull the aching pain all over his body. When he finally felt like returning to the real world, he blinked blearily and stared up at Byleth’s wide blue eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh. Did I die, and you’re a spirit that’s here to reclaim me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that all you have to say for yourself, Claude von Riegan?” She hissed back with a startling amount of venom in her voice. “I told you to not to show off!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Claude closed his eyes again. “But really, I wasn’t trying to show off… I wanted to save you from Petra.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brush with death must have loosened his tongue quite a bit. That wasn’t something he normally would have said. And to further his shock, Byleth’s arms around Claude tightened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t need to save me. I just defeated Ferdinand and was about to help you when I saw you falling. Risking yourself was unnecessary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Claude was hearing her correctly, Teach sounded more distraught than angry. He opened his eyes to confirm his suspicions. As he thought, her lips were pursed into a tight frown and her ordinarily blank eyes smouldered with anger. Or was it concern? His heart, already beating fast from the fall, pounded even quicker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about that.” He apologized again. “Not everyone can see the future, you know? At least tell me that we won.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth’s gaze quickly froze back over. “We did. But Seteth called your name when you fell off your wyvern. I don’t think I can raise your flying rank based on your failure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that a joke? Claude’s snicker stopped short thanks to the pain in his chest. Petra’s thrust was going to leave a bruise. Byleth, sensing his discomfort, took the reins of her pegasus in one hand and clung to Claude with the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to get you to Flayn. Hold on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude would have objected to that if he had a choice in the matter. Although, if he was being perfectly honest with himself, Teach's touch warmed him in a surprising way. The two riders and the pegasus alighted in a grassy meadow. Claude wanted to dismount by himself, but his aching body wouldn’t allow it. Byleth had to cradle him in her arms like a baby as she brought him to Flayn’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As expected, he received quite an earful from Seteth. Claude was good at tuning out harsh words, and even better at pretending he was listening. Still, he never felt more relieved when Seteth concluded his lecture with an invitation to join his future seminars. Claude was about to turn him down, but when he realized that Byleth was likely to be there, he ultimately settled with an “I’ll think about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The green-haired man wasn’t the only person that wanted to speak to Claude. As their weary mounts rested, other students peppered both him and his professor with questions. Petra in particular was enthusiastic about the idea of using a bow while flying, and badgered him with specifics at how one might accomplish it. Claude had to think carefully about his answers, as to not give away where he learned to do that, but he was still touched that she had taken an interest in his style.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was the movement you did?” Petra asked. “When you, ah, fell off your wyvern and shot at me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the Hanging Bat Volley? I wouldn’t try that.” Claude smirked. The name, like the combat art itself, wasn’t exactly his own creation, but no one here would notice that.  “I mean, it needs a little more refinement before I can teach it to anyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would say a lot of refinement!” Ingrid exclaimed, as if she was offended by Claude’s failure. “You nearly got yourself killed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’ll fess up to that. No need to rub more salt into my wound.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Claude, how did you have knowing it will work? When you don’t have perfection yet?” Petra interrupted them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it works a bit like Grounder. A flier’s height is their greatest strength, but it can also be turned into a weakness. By flying high, their underside is vulnerable to attack. It's one of the reasons why arrows are usually so effective against them. But you’ll need a solid foundation to make your upward strike powerful enough, and it takes remarkable skill to duck under a flier without endangering yourself. If you manage to pull it off, the enemy won’t even know what hit them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see!” Petra clapped her hands excitedly. “I had that confusion when you fell off your wyvern!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just to clarify, were you confused about when I hung upside-down, or when I fell off completely?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Petra’s smile seemed more sly as she tapped a finger against her cheek. “Hmm. I say both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Despite your lucky break this time, I trust that you won’t use that trick again until you master it.” Byleth interjected their lively discussion. If anyone but her had interrupted, Claude would have been slightly miffed, but he just flashed a smile in her general direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I won’t. Buuuuuut it sounds like you don't mind if I do try to master it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth stayed quiet, obviously unwilling to lie or give him more encouragement. Claude’s smile widened as he kept talking. “This also means I’m going to spend more time at flying training, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. You proved to be quite capable, and it would be a waste to squander your skill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, alright. As long as you’re with me, maybe this won’t be so bad.” He blurted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To which Byleth blinked at. “Why do you want me with you? You can train without my supervision.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re really asking that? After what happened today? With you around, I know that there’ll always be someone to swoop in and save me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude’s brazen statement elicited varying degrees of laughter, cringe, and head shakes all around him. He had to admit that maybe he was a bit too bold, but could you really blame him? He also freely admitted that he anticipated Byleth to immediately dismiss him with her very subtle version of scorn. He certainly didn’t expect her to nod and offer a simple yet heartwarming affirmation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see. I’ll make sure to catch you when you fall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the background, Claude heard Sylvain chortling and muttering something to Ingrid, and Ingrid giving him a light slap in response. Ferdinand wore a sheepish grin as he shook his head again, while Petra seemed mostly oblivious. All of their reactions did nothing to diminish the blush on Claude’s cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Ashen Demon became more fearsome when she gained not one, but two pairs of wings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One pair of wings was trotting behind her faithfully. For the battle to take the Great Bridge of Myrddin, Byleth exchanged her Enlightened One robes for a set of black Falcoknight armor, complete with a cape and a gap of skin between her tunic and stockings. That also meant she got a beautiful falicorn with pearly white-and-gold feathers to match her new class. This flying steed was as swift and powerful as it was graceful, and a far cry from the pegasus she ridden in her academy days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude had no doubt that she would be terror in the skies, especially when flanked by the second pair of wings he provided. Turkey slowly but dutifully lumbered by his side. The old wyvern was showing his age by his chipped and greying scales, but there was no other mount Claude could rely on during this war. Turkey tolerated his upside-down shooting practice, flew alongside Teach’s pegasus during training, got him away from Garreg Mach when it fell five years ago, and brought him back for the class reunion. Besides, his fangs were still sharp and his eyes still blazed with an inner fire. Maybe when their situation got better, he could think about giving Turkey the retirement he deserved, but for now, Turkey would fight just as hard as his younger kin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember the plan, Claude?” Byleth asked as she approached him. The outer walls of the bridge imposed long shadows over them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” He nodded. “Hilda, you, and I will fly over to the side road to defeat the paladins positioned there. When that road is cleared, we’ll use hit-and-run tactics to harry the main forces and to allow the bulk of our troops easier passage throughout the bridge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth nodded in agreeance while Claude chucked at what he just said. “When.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When?” She shot him a puzzled stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘That’s very presumptuous of you.’ Do you remember saying that, Teach? All those years ago, when we first started flying together? When the students we faced during Seteth’s seminar weren’t real enemies? You know, Ferdinand von Aegir is a general of Edelgard’s army now. He’s stationed at the very fort we aim to take.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth's uncharacteristically soft voice made him turn to look at her. She stared back with both concern and melancholy. Such an expressful gaze would have delighted Claude, but knowing that she wore it because of his doubts only saddened him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. I’m not going to break down over this." He smiled in an attempt to ward off that sorrowful look. "Nor am I going to try anything stupid to save you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't his smile that brightened her mood, but his joke. “I thought you perfected that technique. What did you call it? Hanging Bat Volley?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did master it in the end. But there’s not many flying foes here. I need to point my arrows at those on the ground, not in the air.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His fingers instinctively touched the strange bow on his back. So much has changed since that fateful year in the Officer’s Academy. Claude wielded Failnaught, a Hero’s Relic, instead of an old training bow with blunted arrows. He would aim this bow with the intent of killing instead of disarmament. And those at his mercy, including Ferdinand, would have those same intentions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, some things haven’t changed. Turkey was still here, as well as the Golden Deer. Teach was still the best flying partner a man could ask for. Not only that… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll still catch me when I fall, right?” He turned his eyes and looked straight into her cyan eyes. Another difference from way back when.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Byleth nodded without hesitation. Her lips curved into a small smile that he wouldn’t have seen from her old, stony-faced self, but this change wasn’t unwelcome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. I’ll always be there to catch you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude took a deep breath upon hearing those words. He wanted to hear them, yearned for them even, but he wasn’t prepared for the many emotions that surged through him. Relief. Joy. Adoration. Guilt that he wasn’t able to promise her the same, when she fell off a cliff five years ago…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook that dismal thought out of his head. It was almost time to march onwards, and he couldn’t have anything clouding the brilliant mind his army relied on. Still, he couldn’t help but indulge in his feelings once more, before the battle began in earnest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready, Teach?” He inquired in a tender voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am.” She replied back just as softly. “Let’s fly.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Because I had to get it off my chest: I know that turkeys are native to the Americas and shouldn't be in fantasy Europe. But let's just say that they can be found in Fodlan too because Turkey is too good of a name to pass up.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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